Improvement in street-hydrants



G. H. CLEM'ENS & G. C. MURGAN.

Street-Hydrant.

N0. I63 361. PatentedMay18,I875

Inventors.

Wirtnesses THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO -LITH.39&.4I PARK PLACEJtY UNITED STATESPATENT QEFIoE.

GILBERT H. CLEMENS AND GEORGE O. MORGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-HYDRANTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent Nol63,361, dated May 18,1875 application filed March 19, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GILBERT H. OLEMENs and GEORGE U. MORGAN, of thecity of Ohicago, in the county of-Oook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Street-Hydrants, of which thefollowing is a full description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which the figure is a vertical section.

This invention consists in adapting to a street-hydrant a valvesubstantially the same as shown in the Letters Patent to said CLEM- ENS,dated February 28,1871, in carrying and extending the water-way abovethe dischargeoutlet, to prevent the insertion of obstructions; in thedevices for making the hydrant frost-proof; in the peculiar constructionof the drain-valve, and in the other devices and combinationshereinafter claimed.

In the drawings, A A represent the shell or outer casing of the hydrant.The lower part of A and the upper part of A are each provided with aflange, between which flange is placed a piece of wood or othernon-conducting material, to prevent the passage of frost from the upperto the lower portion of the hydrant. These parts are secured together bysuitable bolts, and as a further protection each bolt is incased withwood or some other nonconducting material a. G is the inlet, throughwhich the water reaches the hydrant. D is the main valve. As shown, itis made of two parts screwed together. The lower portion rests on apacking, I), inserted in a recess to keep it in place, and the upperportion also rests on a similar packing, b, in a similar recess, .9. Thelower part of the valve is provided with guide-wings a. Around the lowerpart of the valve is loosely placed a ring, 0, its lower edge resting onthe lower portion of the valve 1). From one side of this ring 0 projectsan arm, 0, to which is secured the stem d of the drain-valve m. e is anopening through the valve D. E is a chamber between the upper portion ofthe valve 1) and the cap f, the area of which is considerably largerthan that of the bottom of the valve D. g is a secondary valve, havingits seat on the cap f. The stem 11 of this valve extends down into theopening 6 in the valve D, fitting somewhat loosely therein, leaving asmall space around it for the passage of water into the chamber E. h isa spring located in a suitable chamber, I, which holds the valve 9 onits seat. The valve-rod we make partly of iron and partly of wood, toprevent the pas sage of frost down the same. is k represent the ironportions, and H that part which is made of wood, to which the ironportions are suitably secured. The rod is to be operated by a wrench atthe top, as usual. F represents openings, through which, when the mainvalve is raised, the water passes into the water-way G. i are openingsfrom the chamber I into the way G. J is a loose valve or cap coveringthe top of the water-way G. It is arranged to move up and down on therod k, and rests upon a packing, r, which is placed in a recess in thetop of G. K is the discharge-outlet, to which the water comes from thechamber L. M is an outer casing, so connected with the shell of thehydrant as to form between thiscasing and the hydrant a close chamber,N, which we fill with salt in a liquid or dry state as a protectionagainst frost.

The operation of the hydrant is as follows: When the Valve g is in theposition repre sented the pressure of the water in the chainber E uponthe top of the valve D will be greater than upon the under side thereof,because the area of the upper surface of the valve is greater than thatof its under surface, and because there is a communication between thechamber E and the inlet G around the valve-stem v; hence the valve Dwill be held down to place. If the valve 9 be raised slightly the waterin the chamber E will flow out into the chamber I, and thence throughthe openings z into the water-way G, relieving the pressure in thechamber E, and the valve D will at once be raised by the pressure of thewater beneath it, and allow the water to flow through the openings F Finto the water-way G; and the pressure of the water on the under side ofthe cap or valve J will elevate it, and the water will flow over the topof G into the chamber L, and thence out through K. At the same time thatthe valve D rises it will carry along with it the drainvalve m and closethe outlet. hen the valve 9 is again returned to its seat the pressureof the water in the chamber E will again force the valve D down upon itsseats, carrying with it the drain-valve m, and the cap J will return toits place upon the top of G. The spring h can be adjusted. to anydesired pressure, so that if such pressure be increased the valve y willopen automatically, relieving such pressure, and preventing injury tothe hydrant or pipes. The valve-stein o is somewhat larger at its lowerend than the seat or port of the valve 9, for the purpose of renderingthe automatic action of this valve more prompt and positive. The valve Dcan rotate freely within the loose ring 0 without inter- "ferin'g withtheaction 'of'the drain-valve m.

The extension of the chamber G above the outlet K is a preventativeagainst the introduction of obstructions into the hydrant. The hydrantmay be used without the cap J, but it is useful as a protection fromfrost, and as an additional protection to the introduction ofobstructions into the hydrant.

What we claim as new is as follows:

1. A hydrant case or shell, made of two or more parts, A A, incombination with a nonconducting material, B, between the same,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A valve-rod, made partly of metal, 70 k, and partly of wood, H,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The main valve D, chamber E, and secondary valve g, in combinationwith the waterway G, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a hydrant, the water-way G, extended above and combined with theoutlet K, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5." The loose cap J, in combination with the

